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Mayor Rob Ford
has been formally asked by the overwhelming majority of Toronto city councillors to take a leave of absence, an embarrassing and unprecedented rebuke that came hours after the mayor of Canada’s largest city admitted to buying illegal drugs while in office.

The symbolic
37-5 vote
concluded an extraordinary debate in which Ford attempted to confront one former ally, struggled to respond to questions from other once-supporters about his public intoxication and connections to alleged criminals, and thumbed his nose at his dismayed colleagues by proposing a mandatory drug test for every member of council.

Ford vowed to ignore the vote and proceed with his work. But the deep weakness revealed on Wednesday is likely to be solidified further on Friday, when council will hold two newly scheduled special meetings: one to vote on a proposal to deny him the usual power to run the government without seeking council approvals during emergencies, the other to vote on a proposal to deny him the power to fire councillors from his own executive committee.

Twenty-four councillors signed the petition to strip Ford of his role in responding to emergencies and allow the deputy mayor, Norm Kelly, to take command instead. Councillor John Filion said Ford would not be able to lead an emergency response “in his current state.”

“We can imagine if there had been an emergency on the night of St. Patrick’s Day, 2012, it would not have been a good scene,” Filion said, referring to an evening in which Ford allegedly snorted cocaine, popped OxyContin, guzzled vodka, and attacked his aides.

On Wednesday, Ford lost four other symbolic votes in rapid succession. Council voted 36-6 to ask him to apologize for “misleading” the city about the existence of the video that appears to show him smoking crack cocaine, 34-5 to urge him to begin cooperating with the police investigation into his activities, and 36-6 to apologize for writing a character reference on official letterhead for a friend, Alexander “Sandro” Lisi, who has been charged with drug dealing and extortion in the course of allegedly trying to retrieve the Ford “crack video.”

Ford and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, voted against each of the censure items. The mayor declined to address them specifically.

“I think I’ve said everything I really could say today. There’s not much to add. Apologizing and saying sorry, you can only say that so many times. There’s nothing else to say, guys. I really f-ed up and that’s it,” he said to begin his speech.

To conclude, he said: “I’ll be doing everything I’ve done for the last 13 years, returning calls, watching every dime, going to people’s homes and fighting for the little guy in this city. And if you want to carry this on, I can’t stop you. I’m moving on. You guys can do what you want. I apologize again. I’m sorry. That’s all I have to say.”

The meeting, briefly televised live by CNN, began with dramatic displays of displeasure by members of council. Ford’s former budget chief, Councillor Mike Del Grande, turned his back to Ford whenever the mayor rose to speak. And Councillor Jaye Robinson read an open letter from 30 councillors who said they are “increasingly concerned by the seemingly endless cycle of allegations, denials and belated admissions about your behaviour.”

Ford’s former allies asked tougher questions of him than his longtime foes. Wary of overreaching — or being perceived to be overreaching — much of council’s left-leaning faction endorsed a motion from Councillor Gord Perks, one of Ford’s most consistent opponents, to simply ask the city’s integrity commissioner to investigate Ford’s behaviour. But much of the right and centre backed the immediate censure proposed by conservative Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong.

“People who live in this city will be paying for the damage caused by terrible judgment, serial deception, and rampant ego for a long while to come,” Minnan-Wong said in a speech. “It shouldn’t have had to come to this. I am so tired of waking up every morning and wondering, what will it be today? I am so tired of giving the benefit of the doubt again and again, only to be let down again and again.”

Ford has been plagued by scandal since the Star and the U.S. website Gawker reported in May on the video, whose existence Police Chief Bill Blair confirmed on Oct. 31. He acknowledged last Tuesday that he has used crack cocaine while in office, but he has refused to address specific questions from the media about his drug and alcohol use and about his relationships with known and accused criminals.

He faltered at times in trying to respond to the questions posed to him Wednesday on the council floor.

Del Grande, a blunt-talking conservative, asked Ford about his 2006 promise to never repeat the drunken and belligerent conduct that got him thrown out of a Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre.

Ford responded: “Councillor, I’ve admitted to my mistakes and I said it would not happen again, and it has never happened again, at the Air Canada Centre.” Councillors and the members of the public who packed the public gallery burst into laughter.

Councillor Michael Thompson, the economic development committee chair and one of Ford’s top supporters all term, asked him about his connection to the alleged “crack house” at 15 Windsor Rd., outside of which he was photographed with alleged gang members, one of whom was subsequently shot dead.

“That is not a crack house,” Ford insisted. “It is a house with a family with a father and a mother and three sons and a daughter.” His voice rising, he asked Thompson, “Have you visited the house? Have you walked in the house?”

Thompson retorted: “I have no interest in being in that house. I am not a crack user.” At this, the gallery oohed in the manner of a Maury Povich audience.

Ford had his testiest exchanges with Minnan-Wong, a possible mayoral candidate in the 2014 election.

Minnan-Wong said Ford threatened him by standing uncomfortably close to him early in the meeting; Ford denied he had done anything wrong. Later, Ford’s brother and chief defender, Councillor Doug Ford, launched into an interrogatory tirade in which he asked Minnan-Wong whether he has ever used marijuana or driven drunk.

After Speaker Frances Nunziata cut off his microphone and called a recess, Doug Ford continued, “Don’t pretend to be a Christian when you aren’t.” The mayor then left his seat and walked combatively across the chamber toward Minnan-Wong; Doug Ford grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

Minnan-Wong elicited the day’s most notable admission. “Mr. Mayor,” he asked, “have you purchased illegal drugs in the last two years?”

Ford was silent for eight seconds without blinking. Then he said, “Yes I have.”

The open letter was presented as a formal but non-binding petition — which Ford voted against even accepting. Among the signatories were seven councillors who have been allied with Ford: Del Grande, Minnan-Wong, Thompson, Gary Crawford, Mark Grimes, Peter Milczyn, and Cesar Palacio. Del Grande, a staunch conservative, turned his back on Ford when the mayor rose to speak.

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